Rawalpindi City Profile by Directory Pakistan.

Introduction:

Rawalpindi District is a district located in the northernmost part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Parts of the district form part of the Islamabad Rawalpindi metropolitan area. Rawalpindi city is the district capital.

Rawalpindi is a city in the Potwar Plateau near Islamabad, the current capital of Pakistan. It is the military headquarters of the Pakistan Armed Forces and also served as the nation’s capital while Islamabad was being constructed in the 1960s. The city is home to many industries and factories.

Islamabad International Airport is actually in Rawalpindi, and it serves the city along with the capital. Rawalpindi is located in the Punjab province, 275 km (171 miles) to the north-west of Lahore. It is the administrative seat of the Rawalpindi District. Rawalpindi, also known as Pindi, has a long history spread over several millennia. Archaeologists believe that a distinct culture flourished on this plateau as far back as 3000 years.Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, and the two are jointly known as the “twin cities” because of the social and economic links between them.Rawalpindi is a city and district in Punjab province of Pakistan. Its ancient name was Shahdheri.

Etymology:

The  name  Rawalpindi  means  the  abode  of Rawals. The  Rawals,  a  Jogi  tribe,  founded  a  village  namely ‘Rawal’   at  the   site  of  Rawal  Dam. When Jhanda Khan, founded a new town nearby, at site  of  Fatehpur  Baori, he  named  it Rawalpindi. Established in 1849, Rawalpindi  Cantonment  is the  second  oldest  and  a premier Cantonment of Pakistan. Population-wise  it  is the  largest  Cantonment. Prior to its bifurcation it was stretched over 18,577 acres of land and after its division in 2003, it now  encompasses  10,172  acres (41.16 sq km).

Historical Background:

The material remains found at the site prove the existence of a Buddhist establishment contemporary to Taxila, but less celebrated than its neighbor. It appears that the ancient city went into oblivion as a result of the Hun devastation. The first Muslim invader, Mahmud of Ghazni (979-1030), gifted the ruined city to a Gakkhar Chief, Kai Gohar. The town, however, being on an invasion route, could not prosper and remained deserted until Jhanda Khan, another Gakkhar Chief, restored it and named it Rawalpindi after the village Rawal in 1493.

Rawalpindi remained under the rule of the Gakkhars till Muqarrab Khan, the last Gakkhar ruler, was defeated by the Sikhs in 1765. The Sikhs invited traders from other places to settle here. This brought the city into prominence. Following the British conquest of the Sikhs and their occupation of Rawalpindi in 1849, the city became a permanent garrison of the British army in 1851. In the 1880s a railway line to Rawalpindi was laid, and a train service was inaugurated on January 1, 1886. The need for having a railway link arose after Lord Dalhousie made Rawalpindi the headquarters of the Northern Command and Rawalpindi became the largest British military garrison in British India.

In 1951, Rawalpindi saw the murder of the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, in Liaquat Garden. Today Rawalpindi is the headquarters of the Pakistani Army and Air Force. The famous Murree Road has been a hot spot for various political and social events. Nala Lai, famous for its floods, runs in the middle of the city, dividing it into city area and Cantonment area. History describes Nala Lai water pure enough to do washing clothes but now it has become polluted with the waste water from all sources including factories and houses. It is rapidly developing into a large modern city. It has many good hotels, restaurants, clubs, museums, playgrounds. It has a number of parks, of which the largest is Ayub National Park. Rawalpindi is the nearest major city for the holiday resorts and hill stations of the Galiyat area, such as Murree, Nathia Gali, and Ayubia. It is also a common starting point for tourists visiting Abbottabad, Swat, Kaghan, Gilgit, Hunza, Skardu and Chitral.

Area of the City:

The district has an area of 5,286 km² (2,041 sq mi). Originally, its area was 6,192 km² (2,391 sq mi) until the 1960s when Islamabad Capital Territory was carved out of the district, giving away an area of 906 km² (350 sq mi).It is situated on the southern slopes of the north-western extremities of the Himalayas, including large mountain tracts with rich valleys traversed by mountain rivers. The chief rivers are the Indus and the Jhelum, and it is noted for its milder climate and abundant rainfall due to its proximity to the foothills.

 Administrative division:

Rawalpindi district is governed by the Rawalpindi District Council, while several regions sub-divided into one Municipal Corporation, two Cantonment Boards and Seven tehsils:

• Rawalpindi Metropolitan Corporation

• Rawalpindi Cantonment Board

• Chaklala Cantonment Boardy

 Demography:

In 2017 population of Rawalpindi district was 5,402,380. 2,736,180 were male and 2,665,089 were female. 2,396,672 (44.36%) lived in rural areas and 3,005,708 (55.64%) lived in urban areas.

According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, the population of the district was 3,363,911 of which 53.03% were urban, and is the second-most urbanised district in Punjab. The population was estimated to be 4.5 million in 2010.

Religion:

According to the 2017 census Muslims were the overwhelming majority religion with 98.01%, while Christians were 1.90% of the population.

 Language:

At the time of the 1998 census of Pakistan, the following were the demographics of the Rawalpindi district, by first language:

• Punjabi: 90%

• Urdu: 3.5%

• Pashto: 4.3%

• Others: approx. 2.2%

At the time of the 2017 Census of Pakistan, the distribution of the population of Rawalpindi District by first language was as follows:

• 68.7% Punjabi

• 10.9% Pashto

• 10.2% Urdu

• 3.2% Hindko

• 1.8% Kashmiri

• 1.0% Saraiki

• 0.2% Sindhi

• 0.1% Brahui

• 0.1% Balochi

• 4.0% Others

 Education:

According to the 2015 census, Rawalpindi was ranked number one district of Pakistan in terms of education and school infrastructure facilities. According to official 2014 Public Schools Census data, district Rawalpindi had a total of 1,230 primary, 316 middle, 365 secondary and 40 higher secondary schools. O ut of these public sector schools, 911 are male schools while 1,040 are for girls. There were 4,279 teachers teaching at primary level while 3,129, 6,516 and 1,155 teachers are teaching at middle, secondary and higher secondary level, respectively. Out of these teachers, 9,788 are female while 5,291 are male. 24% of the Class 2 students could not read a story in Urdu, 26% could not read a sentence in English and 46% of Class 5 students could not do two digit divisions. 8% of the students dropped out of the school at the primary level:

 Agriculture:

The principal crops were wheat, barley, maize, millets, and pulses. The district was traversed by the main line of the North-Western railway, crossing the Indus at Attock and also by a branch towards the Indus at Kushalgarh

District Statistics:

Schools

Details of schools in district are as follows:

Parks In Rawalpindi

Ayub National Park – Rawalpindi

Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi

Nawaz Sharif Park – Rawalpindi

 Air quality in Rawalpindi

Air quality index (AQI) and PM2.5 air pollution in Rawalpindi.

Rawalpindi Shopping Centers:

Rawalpindi is one of the twin cities located in the province of Punjab. The fact that Rawalpindi is the 3rd largest metropolitan area makes it way more interesting to foreign tourists who like to conduct surveys based on population count. Rawalpindi is known for its amazing culture and the civil society of people who will never let a guest go empty handed. The glorious city Punjab has an array of attractions and heaps of zeal for the hospitality of tourists as well as their own people. The clear roads and standardized commercial area make Rawalpindi a suitable location for many local businesses and vendors. Rawalpindi has some amazing shopping places and gigantic malls :

Giga Mall

Rabi Center

Midway Center:

Commercial Market

Gold Point Mall

China Market

Al Jannat Mall

Water Management Authority:

WASA is provider of high quality water recognized drinking water guidelines. This is achieved through planning and development  of water supply schemes and maintainance.

Rawalpindi Development Authority is spread over the Municipal Committee Rawalpindi and 64 other Revenue Estates of Rawalpindi, except Cantonment Board. The controlled area of Rawalpindi Development Authority is around 311 Sq. Km.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the value to be used in guiding healthy individuals to achieve adequate nutrient intake. It is a goal for average intake over time; day-to-day variation is to be expected. RDAs are set separately for specified life stage groups and sometimes they differ for males and females.

Excise and Taxation Department:

(Excise and Taxation Building in Rawalpindi)

In Rawalpindi, there are different office buildings are located. People resident of Rawalpindi are mostly employees. As different office buildings are here in Rawalpindi vicinity. One of the several, Excise and Taxation Rawalpindi is most famous among the transporters, vehicle owners. It deals with the motorcycle, car registration process, vehicle verification, issuance of the smart card to the owners of motorcycle, cars etc. This organization is working under the supervision of the Government of Punjab.

RawalpindiDirector Excise & Taxation 22-A, Civil Lines Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.Tel:051-9271925Fax:051-9271926Excise & Taxation Office22-A, Civil Lines

Hotels in Rawalpindi Saddar:

There are approximately 400 hotels spread over the Rawalpindi, a small selection of which given below:- Most of the hotels are concentrated in the Saddar / Cantonment area, which is Rawalpindi’s real commercial center. The most expensive one is in the Cantonment Area along The Mall Road while the mid-range and cheaper ones are in the Saddar Area. There are some unappealing hotels are at Pir Wadhai Bus Station.

List of Best Areas in Rawalpindi:

• Satellite Town.                                                            

• Peshawar Road.                                                                        

• Adyala Road.                                                             

• Capital Smart City.

.Best Shopping Places in Rawalpindi:

The main shopping areas are Saddar and Rajah Bazar.

Raja Bazar:
It’s a fascinating area to explore, and to shop anything from jewelry, handicrafts, and fabrics to smuggled electric goods, house construction materials, fish market is also here.
Walking east from Fowara Chowk along Trunk Bazar off to left roughly halfway along you can see an old Hindu Temple (one of several that once graced this area).

Moti Bazar Rawalpindi

It is women market for beads, hair braids, shawls, make up etc.

Trunk Bazar

Combines metal trunks with other items of ironmongery jand practical goods, there is good fishing tackle shop around 200 meter down on the right.

Rawalpindi Cantonment 

It is a large cantonment located in Rawalpindi, Punjab province, Pakistan. The headquarters of the Pakistan Army which are known as the General Headquarters (GHQ) are located in the Rawalpindi cantonment.

Rawalpindi cantonment is part of Rawalpindi Metropolitan city Population 3,461,806(2017)
It is situated on the Grand Trunk Road on Railway Line 1, the main railroad of the country. The town has its own railway station Rawalpindi Railway Station.
Initially, Rawalpindi cantonment was the only one in Rawalpindi city and the largest in Pakistan. However, this was one of the most poorly managed cantonments and it was facing administrative challenges due to its size, area and population. Therefore, during General Pervez Musharraf’s era, Rawalpindi cantt. was split into Rawalpindi Cantonment and Chaklala Cantonment. The northern and eastern parts of the city around the airport were included in Chaklala cantt.

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium        

Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Established 19th January 1992
Capacity 15000

Specialties of Rawalpindi:

• In Monsoons and spring season people of Rawalpindi enjoy the weather of this city. Few years before people of Rawalpindi.

• Rawalpindi is an important administrative, commercial, and industrial centre. Its industries include locomotive works, gasworks, an oil refinery, sawmills, an iron foundry, a brewery, and cotton, hosiery, and textile mills.

• Twin cities, especially Rawalpindi is known for its rich culture and history. If you have a knack for history and rich culture, Rawalpindi is the perfect place for you. From old bazaars to ancient architecture, It is the military headquarters of the Pakistan Armed Forces and also served as the nation’s capitalwhile Islamabad was being constructed in the 1960s. The city is home to many industries and factories. Islamabad International Airport is actually in Rawalpindi

• The residents of Rawalpindi are generally friendly and cultured. They are very fond of eating food and desi food is normally preferred. Islam is followed by 94% of the people in which mostly are Sunnis and Shiites are also present.

• Makhni Chana and saag, grilled fish and barbequed chicken, creamy lassi and refreshing rose sherbet, kheer, firni, sweetmeats of all kinds: you’ll find it all here.

• Rawalpindi has many good hotels, restaurants, clubs, museums and parks. It has many important places for foods which show the true heritage of Punjab which is famous for its dishes. The main places are food street, kartar pura, banni chowk and sadder.

• Rawalpindi has borne many famous international players in different sports which include the world fastest bowler in history of cricket Shoaib Akhter, one of the best hockey forward Shakeel Abbasi and other players which represented the national teams on international circuit.

• Rawalpindi is chaotic but relatively dust-free. The weather is highly variable due to its location. Rawalpindi faces very moderate type of climate having long and hot summers, short and wet wintersRawalpindi is truly a gem.

• Pindi boys’ (or “boyses”) is the pejorative term used for the stereotypical slimy-haired, gaudily clothed Punjabi accented youngsters of Rawalpindi, Pakistan who journey to Islamabad, usually in large groups of predominantly male friends, to enjoy the sights and sounds of the nation’s capital.

Issues in Rawalpindi:

·         Civic issues littered throughout the Rawalpindi:

• Rawalpindi:With rising population and modern lifestyle many big challenges like potholed roads, air, and noise pollution, wild growth along avenues, traffic congestion, water shortage, electricity.                                                    

• Rawalpindi:With rising population and modern lifestyle many big challenges like potholed roads, air, and noise pollution, wild growth along avenues, traffic congestion, water shortage, electricity, gas depletion, heaps of garbage, choked sewerage lines, encroachments, etc. face the city.

• These issues affect not only an individual but affect society as a whole. It disturbs public life altogether. The city may become livable if the city administration efficiently manages these problems.

• The drainage system has completely collapsed and water accumulates in many city areas, damaging houses, and infrastructure. Poor urban planning without any consideration for drainage, and the lack of solid waste removal that accumulates has choked the drainage system in the city.

• The collection and disposal of a huge quantity of waste are not possible for the civic agencies, which already have a poor capacity. Consequently, the residents dump waste on roads and streets, which not only pollutes the environment but also becomes a major source of choking the already feeble drainage system.

• During heavy rains, the situation gets awful on the ground as most parts of the city face standing water. The immediate health hazard from this scenario is the spread of the dengue virus and other diseases throughout the city.                                                                                       

• City authorities claim working on several projects worth crores of rupees; the civic condition of the city shows a sorry state of affairs. Civic bodies’ people should visit areas like Raja Bazaar, Bara Market, Mochi Bazaar, Bohar Bazaar, Sutar Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, and Kashmiri Bazaar, and take action accordingly.

• A visit to Namakmandi, Ganjmandi, Banni Chowk, Usmanpura, Committee Chowk underpass, Mareer Chowk, Saddar, Pirwadhai Morr Underpass, Gali Loharan, Purana Qila, will also prove informative for them.

• Stay at Iqbal Road, College Road, Kashmir Road, IJ Road, Rashid Minhas Road, GT Road near Ayub Park, Adyala Road, Gowalmandi Road, Sir Syed Road, and Jamia Masjid Road is pretty revealing.

• Syed Kamal, president of the City Markets Association, says, “Cleanliness and maintenance are big issues here. Though in the market areas, we keep things intact customers do not pay attention to sanitation.”                                                                                      

• Environmental issues and pollutions are extremely hazardous problems that the world is facing today. Pakistan is also one of those countries where environmental problems are expanding violently with the progression of time. We definitely want to see Pakistan without any environmental issue but currently, there are lots of challenges. If we only talk about the twin cities of Pakistan, then it is extremely saddening to state that environmental problems in these cities are not only expanding but also stressing the health of the residents.

• Garbage heaps at different regions of Rawalpindi irritated the residents as it was causing several health issues, diseases and was the real reason for environmental issues and pollutions. Numerous areas have serious environmental effects like irresistible ailments, land and air contamination because of blockage of channels and water contamination in natural streams.

Resolution of Issues:

In the recent past years, there is a noticeable rise in the usage of vehicles. Due to this much increase in the vehicles, air pollution is causing many diseases such as asthma, breathing issue, skin problems, eye diseases, allergies, and lung diseases.Increase in the budget of the environment. However, there are also some ways by which we can resolve environmental issues:

• By planting more trees

• People must not cut trees and use wood as fuel

•  Making effective strategies to avoid factory’s waste and chemicals

• By taking actions to make clean air program

• Changing bad habits like wastage of water, electricity, and dispersal of garbage

• Spreading more awareness

The environmental problem is not only about Rawalpindi but the whole of Pakistan. But if it is seen that people in one place are particularly affected by this, then it should be resolved immediately and authorities should take actions on urgent basis. After all, it’s the matter of their health and well being.

Conclusion:

 It is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad, and third populous in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is situated close to Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, and the two are jointly known as the “twin cities” because of the social and economic links between them.The city is home to many industries and factories. Rawalpindi is a city of 2.1 million people (2017) in Pakistan. It is a bustling town strategically located between the Punjab and Azad Kashmir. It has a strong colonial influence and possesses a large military cantonment with the headquarters of the Pakistan Army. It is the sister city of Islamabad, and is essentially the older sister of Islamabad. To locals, it is simply known as “Pindi”.